Chapter 111

After finishing this dinner in a warm and cozy atmosphere, Tang Huaijin had already drunk quite a bit. The system-given physical constitution he possessed clearly did not include immunity to alcohol.

Bai Renli, on the other hand, was the type who never showed his alcohol on his face. After downing over half a catty of baijiu¹, there wasn’t the slightest change in his expression. Judging by the look of things, if it weren’t for Xu Jingwen stopping him, he would have kept dragging Tang Huaijin to drink a while longer.

But after being reminded by his wife, although he didn’t drink to his heart’s content, Bai Renli didn’t push further. He just glanced at Tang Huaijin, whose face was slightly flushed, and nodded with some satisfaction.

This kid might not have a high tolerance, but he handled his drink with excellent manners. Bai Renli drank as much as he did, Tang Huaijin would accompany him sip for sip. Even when tipsy, his words were always measured.

Xu Jingwen cast her husband a mildly reproachful glance, then smiled at Tang Huaijin, saying, “Jin, why don’t you chat with your uncle for a bit? You two have a good talk. I’ll go make you some hangover soup.”

Tang Huaijin responded in the affirmative and followed Bai Renli into the living room to sit down on the sofa.

Taking her two daughters, Xu Jingwen headed to the kitchen. While preparing ingredients for the hangover soup, she asked, “Jingxi, what do you think?”

Bai Yuerou’s hand, which was washing the plates, paused. She pursed her lips and looked nervously at Bai Jingxi.

Naturally, Bai Jingxi noticed her sister’s gaze. She let out a light laugh and said, “It’s fine. I have no objections.”

Bai Yuerou’s expression relaxed a bit. She let out a breath and continued washing the dishes.

Xu Jingwen was well aware of her eldest daughter’s capabilities. Hearing her say this, she was immediately at ease. Her expression turned smug as she muttered, “I knew it. Mom’s judgment is always right. The first time I met Jin, I just knew he’d be my son-in-law.”

Bai Jingxi shrugged indifferently, glanced at her younger sister, and said nothing.

…

Bai Renli poured Tang Huaijin a cup of tea and watched as he sat upright on the sofa, performing the proper tea etiquette, his posture straight. Bai Renli’s expression softened as he said, “No need to be so formal. From now on, just treat this as your own home.”

Tang Huaijin was genuinely flattered by this and hurriedly replied, “Thank you, Uncle.”

“Mm.” Most people grow more talkative after drinking, and Bai Renli was no exception. After taking a sip of tea, he began, “I have a general understanding of your family’s situation. Have you thought about where you want to develop in the future?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it. I suppose I’ll stay in Jizhou City in the future,” Tang Huaijin said with a smile. “After all, this is my hometown.”

Bai Renli nodded, tilted his head, and sized Tang Huaijin up for a moment before saying in a gentle voice, “You have decent looks, good grades, talent, and though you’re a little proud, that’s normal for someone your age.”

Tang Huaijin was about to say something modest when he heard Bai Renli continue, “But I want to tell you: none of that really matters.”

Meeting his somewhat confused gaze, Bai Renli smiled and said, “Looks are just skin deep, and there are plenty of talented people out there. I don’t really care about that.”

“Poor family background, no resources, no connections-I don’t care about any of that,” Bai Renli continued. “If you want to start a business, I can invest for you. If you want to keep writing books, I can connect you with people. None of that is a problem. I’m not the old-fashioned type, and I don’t care about matching family status.”

“I only care about two things: First, does my daughter like you?”

“Second, will you treat my daughter well?”

After finishing, Bai Renli sighed slightly. Looking at Tang Huaijin, a faint touch of desolation colored his tone as he said, “I can see that Yuerou genuinely likes you. To be honest, as her father, I’m a little jealous.”

Tang Huaijin gave an awkward smile, not knowing what to say.

Bai Renli reached out and gently patted Tang Huaijin on the shoulder, his expression growing serious as he said, “I’m not saying this to put pressure on you. You’re both still young, and the road ahead is long.”

“Uncle only has one request: please, never hurt my daughter.”

This mysterious principal of Rose Elite High School, who always appeared taciturn and henpecked in front of his wife and daughter, now revealed a different side.

Even though there was often a hint of murderous intent in his gaze toward Tang Huaijin, as a father seeing his precious daughter claimed by another, being able to speak like this was already extremely open-minded.

Tang Huaijin could naturally understand the meaning behind these words. This was the request of an old father, seeking a promise from him.

Sensing the faint bitterness in his tone, Tang Huaijin sighed inwardly and replied solemnly, “Uncle, I will take good care of Yuerou. I won’t let her get hurt.”

But in his heart, he silently added: No matter in what capacity.

Bai Renli met his gaze for a moment, then nodded slightly, filled his teacup, and continued their conversation.

Bai Renli had always loved reading, so their chat mostly centered around books.

Tang Huaijin had also read many books, and with master level knowledge of book writing, his understanding of words was far above ordinary people, so he could naturally keep up.

The two chatted for a while, feeling a rare sense of mutual appreciation.

Bai Renli gradually came to accept this prospective son-in-law, perhaps due to the effect of loving the house and its crow. He found that Tang Huaijin was becoming increasingly pleasing to the eye-whether it was his character, appearance, or talent, he was outstanding among his peers. In his heart, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud; only such a young man could be worthy of his daughter.

Tang Huaijin, in turn, felt great respect for this principal. Someone like him was different from people like Tang Huaijin himself. To have started from scratch and founded a school-whether in terms of experience or vision-he was absolutely top-notch.

Xu Jingwen came out from the kitchen carrying two bowls of hangover soup. Seeing the warm and joyful atmosphere in the living room, she couldn’t help but feel even happier. Ever since Tang Huaijin arrived, there hadn’t been a moment when a smile left her face. At this moment, she even glanced proudly at her husband.

After finishing the hangover soup, Tang Huaijin noticed that it was getting late and took the opportunity to bid farewell-his sister was still waiting for him at home.

After saying goodbye to Yuerou’s father and Yuerou’s mother, Tang Huaijin was escorted to the villa gates by Bai Yuerou.

A gust of cold wind outside sobered Tang Huaijin up quite a bit. He found that although his alcohol tolerance hadn’t improved much, his body’s alcohol metabolism had sped up considerably. In just a short while, he was hardly tipsy anymore.

Bai Yuerou bit her lip and glanced at Tang Huaijin, speaking softly, “Jin, shall we take a walk outside? I’ll ask the driver to take you home in a bit, okay?”

Tang Huaijin smiled and nodded, saying, “Alright.”

The two walked along the roadside. Bai Yuerou stopped under a streetlamp, gently raised her head, letting the warm yellow light fall softly across her face, and spoke softly, “Jin, what did my father say to you?”

“Mm… He asked me not to hurt you.” Tang Huaijin’s expression was a bit complicated. He sighed and said, “It seems Uncle really is treating me as a son-in-law. I honestly don’t know how to handle it.”

At this, he remembered what Bai Jingxi had said, and frowned slightly. “By the way, Yuerou, your sister…?”

Bai Yuerou shook her head, evidently not wanting to discuss her sister. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Jin, do you ever feel that after we announced our relationship, it feels less natural between us than before…”

“……” Tang Huaijin was silent for a while, then nodded. He’d noticed this too. After the two of them made things official, he had become much more reserved. In the past, he was usually the one to initiate conversations, but now, more often than not, it was Bai Yuerou who was starting topics.

Bai Yuerou spoke gently, “Of course, I’m not saying I dislike you like this. I’m perfectly happy to chat with you. It’s just that I feel if this keeps up, eventually, people will notice.”

Tang Huaijin gave a self-mocking smile and said, “Mainly, I still feel a bit guilty towards you. It’s like you’re that gentle and beautiful moonlight in the sky, and someone like me shouldn’t be allowed to touch it.”

The corners of Bai Yuerou’s lips curved up slightly. A smile danced in her eyes as she chided softly, “Don’t say that, Jin. In my heart, you’re the best boy in the world. If you say that, aren’t you saying I have poor taste?”

As she spoke, she carefully and tentatively slipped her hand into his, meeting his gaze with a gentle smile. “If you’re willing, this moonlight can always wait right here for you, waiting for you to reach out.”

“So, there’s no reason to feel guilty towards me. This is my own choice. I like Jin, and I know my feelings clearly-it’s my decision.”

“And even aside from being boyfriend and girlfriend in name, we’re still good friends.” Bai Yuerou looped her arm around his, leaned her delicate head gently on his shoulder, and said with a cheerful smile, “There’s no need to be so distant with good friends, right?”

“If Jin really feels guilty, then just do a good job acting as my boyfriend in front of other people. If we get found out, it’ll be really embarrassing for me.”

Tang Huaijin naturally understood that she was trying to comfort him. Seeing the satisfied smile on the girl’s face, he felt a deep sense of peace inside and squeezed her hand a little tighter.

Bai Yuerou leaned lightly against him for a while before saying, “Jin, Xinya might invite you out to play tomorrow. Do you have time?”

Seeing his slightly confused expression, Bai Yuerou explained, “We had dinner together today, so I’m afraid Xinya will feel left out and unhappy.”

“Alright, I should be free tomorrow.” Tang Huaijin thought about it. That was true-usually Xia Xinya would message him on weekends, bothering him and interrupting his writing. But today, that brat hadn’t contacted him at all. She was probably upset again.

Bai Yuerou smiled, squinting her eyes as she leaned against Tang Huaijin for a bit longer, then finally lifted her head, her eyes glimmering as she looked at Tang Huaijin and said softly, “It’s getting late. I’ll have the driver take you home, okay?”

“Okay.” Tang Huaijin smiled and nodded, taking the girl’s hand as he got into the car.

“See you tomorrow, Jin.”

“Mm, see you tomorrow.”

Footnote:

1. Baijiu(白酒):A traditional Chinese distilled spirit, typically made from grains such as sorghum, wheat, or rice. Baijiu is known for its high alcohol content and distinctive taste, and it is an essential part of Chinese drinking culture, often enjoyed during banquets and celebrations.